


baby

by sinnerlikeme



Series: skimmons. [5]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Pet Names, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-13 03:11:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11750850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinnerlikeme/pseuds/sinnerlikeme
Summary: this word was made for them.





	baby

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to my girl ira!

Daisy calls Jemma “baby” for the first time on accident.

“Wanna go get pizza with me later, baby?” she asks casually, checking security cams on her tablet.

When Jemma doesn’t answer, Daisy lifts her head to see why, and finds herself locking eyes with a very red-faced—but smiling—Jemma. “What?” Daisy says, perplexed and oblivious.

Jemma puts her chin in her palm, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Did you just call me ‘baby?’”

Daisy’s mouth falls open and now it’s her turn to blush. “Oh,” she stammers, palms sweating. “Uh—yeah—sorry. I didn’t mean to,” she explains quickly, trying to act natural but failing horribly.

Jemma laughs softly, feeling equally as awkward for reasons she can’t pinpoint. “It’s fine,” she assures. _More than fine, really._

Daisy shrinks into herself, shoulders hunching, teeth catching her bottom lip. She’s suddenly reminded of the time she called one of her foster mothers “mom”—like she wasn’t supposed to say that. That she just ruined everything. 

“But yes,” Jemma is agreeing pleasantly, “I’d love to.”

Her mind miles away, Daisy has trouble focusing, briefly doesn’t know what Jemma’s talking about. “Huh?”

Jemma frowns, a crease appearing between her pretty, pretty eyes. “I’ll go with you to get pizza.”

“Oh, right.” Daisy snaps out of it a bit, blinking to clear her vision. “Great. Thanks.” 

Jemma seemingly hesitates, then swoops in to peck Daisy’s pink-tinted cheek before grabbing her tea and leaving. Daisy lifts her fingertips to touch the place Jemma kissed her. She grins, less afraid.

  

* * *

 

Daisy avoids another slip-up as best as she can for the next several weeks. Her friendship with Jemma remains normal, thankfully —she would’ve been crushed if that one stupid word made Jemma uncomfortable.

Jemma hears it in her sleep. More often than not, she’ll wake up with Daisy’s voice calling her _baby_ still echoing in her ears. It gets her out of bed in hopes Daisy will say it again, and again, and again. Just the memory gives her heart palpitations.

She decides to show Daisy it isn’t plaguing her negatively by repeating it back to her one day.

Daisy’s waiting at the main entrance with a small team, ready to go out on a mission. Everybody’s talking, going over specifics—all except the usually confident Daisy, who looks nervous. Jemma rounds the corner, happy to see she hasn’t left yet.

Daisy glances up right as Jemma is reaching for her to embrace her tightly. Daisy is surprised for a second, then hugs Jemma and smiles into her shoulder where she can’t see how big her grin is.

“Good luck,” Jemma murmurs, lips brushing Daisy’s jawline unintentionally as she pulls away, giving Daisy goosebumps.

“Thanks,” Daisy whispers, resisting the urge to just. Kiss her. Right here. In front of other people.

“Johnson, let’s go,” Piper tells Daisy, nudging her arm to grab her attention.

The door slides open and the team begins marching out, clad in tack gear, off to save the world.

“I’ll be here when you come back,” Jemma soothes Daisy, who looks unwilling to follow.

Daisy arches an eyebrow. “Promise?” she mumbles, sounding like a child.

Jemma nods, scrunching her nose, a trait she picked up from Daisy. “I promise, baby.”

That gives her the courage she needed to follow her team. Maybe it’s not such a stupid word after all.

 

* * *

 

Jemma’s phone rings at three AM. Oddly, she was already awake, though dozing, as if she was waiting for it. 

“Hi,” Daisy’s tired voice greets, attempting to be cheerful like Jemma.

Jemma’s mouth curls into a drowsy grin. “Hullo,” she laughs. “Where are you? Are you alright?”

“We’re in Cape Town,” Daisy informs her. “Gonna stake out this guy. Try to catch ’im in the act and stuff.”

Jemma fiddles with the hem of her pajama top, which is actually one of Daisy’s shirts, only Daisy doesn’t need to know that. “Well, be safe,” she sighs. “Call me if you need me. I miss you already.”

“I miss you, too,” Daisy says quietly, sadly. “And I will.” A pause. “Okay, sorry, I’ll let you sleep. Sorry if I woke you.”

“No, no.” Jemma waves her off despite the fact she isn’t present to see it. “It’s fine. I was tossing anyway.”

She’d sleep a lot better if Daisy was with her. Daisy doesn’t need to know that, either.

“Uh, alright, I gotta go,” Daisy tells her after another pause. “I, um…I love you.”

“I love you, too, baby.”

 _Oh, boy_ , is all Daisy can think, thousands of miles away.

 

* * *

  

As promised, Jemma is waiting for Daisy when Zephyr One safely lands in the hanger. Jemma looks for Daisy as the ramp lowers, allowing the successful team to exit the plane. Cradling her injured left arm, Daisy is last.

“Daisy!” Jemma yells, bolting towards her in a panic. Daisy, bruised and battered, is nearly knocked off her feet with the force she is tackled with as Jemma nearly slips. “What happened?” Jemma demands, rolling up Daisy’s sleeve to inspect the damage. Daisy’s forearm is discolored and the blue veins under her skin are prominent, and telling by the way she flinches, it’s agonizing.

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” she says rapidly, but still allows Jemma to assess her limb. “We were ambushed near the end of the stakeout. A henchman came out of nowhere…knocked me down. I wasn’t wearing my gauntlets yet, so this happened.” 

“Oh, baby,” Jemma mutters, and unthinkingly takes her sprained hand and kisses her purple knuckles. “Let me take care of that.” She narrowly avoids saying _you_ but Daisy smiles when she isn’t looking regardless.

Like Daisy not too long ago, she’s not even aware of her use of a certain word.

In the med bay, several others are being treated for smaller wounds, and Jemma works fast to give Daisy pain meds and a blanket since she starts shivering the moment she steps into the base. Jemma wraps Daisy’s arm in gauze to prevent further harm, and all the while Daisy is watching her with sleepy but awed eyes. So in love. So ridiculously in love.

“Okay, so, if you have to quake anybody for the next couple weeks or so, use your other hand,” Jemma advises.

Daisy decides to use it right then and there, without really considering it. She simply reaches up, cups Jemma’s neck in her palm, and pulls her in gently to kiss her. Jemma tastes like sweet tea with a hint of spearmint and the scientist makes a cute little sound at the back of her throat. Daisy’s fingers trail down Jemma’s throat to the curve in her shoulder before separating their mouths, a proud look on her face. Jemma is stunned, taking on the appearance of a deer caught in the headlights.

Just as Daisy is starting to worry she messed up, Jemma steps back to tug on the curtain for privacy, then continues kissing Daisy with a desperation Daisy didn’t know she had. Daisy snakes her good arm around Jemma’s waist, hand resting above her ass, and tilts her chin obediently as Jemma holds her face between her hands. They stay like that for a long time.

  

* * *

 

Much later, after carefully maneuvering around Daisy’s injured arm, they give in to a thirst they’ve been harboring for years.

“You held back, baby,” Daisy purrs into Jemma’s hair, amused.

Jemma scoffs. “You consider _that_ holding back?” she snickers, cuddling closer to her.

“Mmm,” Daisy hums, scratching Jemma’s back with her nails. “You haven’t seen the best of me yet.” 

“Heaven help me,” Jemma groans, and Daisy bursts into a fit of giggles; the sound is like magic. Jemma kisses the hickeys she left on Daisy’s warm throat. “I love you. I love you so much.” 

“I know, baby.” It feels normal, saying it now. Like the word was made for them.

Accidents happen, but sometimes they’re for the better.


End file.
